Ronald D. Quinn

This book is a compelling overview of a terrain I never paid much attention to, even though it surrounds me. If you found yourself watching footage of the Station Fire last year and wanting more information about it, this is the book to get. There are some truly bizarre plants and animals, including the Fire Beetle that only lays eggs in smoldering chaparral shrubs, and the Wood Rat that builds a ten-foot hotel for dozens of other animals from twigs.



There's also a beautifully short and informative description of why California gets so little rain and what exactly causes the Santa Ana winds. The book ends with a consideration of how best to cohabit with a terrain that guarantees raging fires and floods, through policy and prevention. This is the first book I've read from the "California Natural History Guides" series from UC Press; on the strength of this one, I'll definitely get more.… (meer)

Chaparral is ubiquitous in California but few people I've met know even a little bit about it, including myself... until I read this book. My main example is the Chaparral Yucca, a beautiful flowering plant found all over California. It has always been among my favorite plants but, before reading California Chaparral, I couldn't identify it and, though I asked many, many people, never talked to anyone else who could identify it either.

So, if you're interested in the California landscape I can't recommend it too highly.… (meer)